The angel having the seal of the living God

TO DISPROVE THE commission of Brother Felix Y. Manalo as God’s messenger in these last days, detractors vehemently deny the teaching that the so-called “Big Four” of the First World War are the fulfillment of the “four angels” mentioned in Revelation 7:1-3.

To make our discussion clear, let us first find out the meaning of the word “angel.” Angel means “messenger,” one who is sent by God. An angel could be either a spirit or a man in state of being. Scholars and religious writers agree that the term angel denotes the office and not the state of being of the one being sent. John the Baptist, although a man, is called an angel because he was sent to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus (cf. Jn. 1:6; Mt. 11:7-10, Douay-Rheims Version).

Heads of nations are messengers

Revelation 7:1-3 which contains the biblical prophecy on the “four angels” says:

“After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.

“Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads’.” (New King James Version)

The “four angels” mentioned in the preceding verses do not refer to ministering spirits sent by God to deliver short messages to certain persons as the angel Gabriel did. Neither are they preachers of God’s teachings as John the Baptist was. Instead, they are leaders of nations sent by God to fulfill special functions.

Apostle Peter stated that even kings and governors or representatives of nations are sent by God (cf. I Pt. 2:13-14). They are also called angels in the category of messengers of nations according to the Prophet Isaiah:

“What will one then answer the messengers of the nations?” (Is. 14:32,NKJV)

Head of states are messengers and are, therefore, called angels. The “four angels” mentioned in Revelation 7:1-3 are heads of states, messengers of their respective countries, “holding the wind.” This prophecy was fulfilled by the “Big Four” of the first world war, namely, Woodrow Wilson (US president), David Lloyd George (British prime minister), Georges Clemenceau (French premier), and Vittoro Orlando (Italian premier).

Critics of the Iglesia ni Cristo, however, believe otherwise, saying that Orlando of Italy was anticlerical, and, therefore, could not have been sent by God.

The Bible, on the other hand, shows that the works of the messengers sent by God are not in all cases religious or spiritual in nature. For instance, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was a pagan; yet he was sent by God (cf. Jer. 43:10). The Persian king Cyrus, too, was sent although he did not worship God (cf. Is. 44:28; 45:1). Hence, belief in God among heads of states is not a necessary condition for them to be sent by God. A person is God’s messenger so long as God had chosen him for a specific work. Unlike those sent by God to preach the gospel, representatives of nations need not be God-fearing or believers in God in order to be called angels or messengers.

The four angels “holding the wind”

In the prophecy, the “four angels” were seen “holding the wind.” The term “wind” does not refer to a literal current of air. The wind, accompanied by chariots like whirlwind and horses swifter than eagles (cf. Jer. 4:11-13), has caused much pain to people who heard “The sound of the trumphet, The alarm of war” (cf. Jer. 4:19, NKJV). The “wind” mentioned in Revelation 7:1-3 is, therefore, a war. But, what kind of war is it? A related prophecy in Isaiah says:

“Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, The world and all things that come forth from it. For the indignation of the Lord is against all nations, And His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter.” (Is. 34:1-2, Ibid.)

This war is global in scope because it involves the armies of all nations being delivered over to the slaughter. Some weapons of this war are even compared to “chariots like whirlwind” and to “horses swifter than eagles.” History testifies to a world war wherein the weapons used are described as such. This was the case during the First World War:

“The First World War was unlike any war in the past… This was the first war ‘in three dimensions,’ the first war in which cites ware bombed from the air and winged warriors fought among the clouds. Of course the airplanes of 1914 were not so fast, so formidable, nor so numerous as those of today. There were really more important as scouts ( a kind of aerial ‘cavalry’) … the British had invented the tank, or land battleship – an armored automobile which could move on rough ground because it was built like a tractor.” (World History, pp. 478-479)

History attests that it was during the First World War when “chariots like whirlwind” or war tanks and “horses swifter that eagles” or airplanes were first used.

This world war was halted by the “four angels” who were heads of nations. In fulfillment, the First World War ceased through the efforts of the “Big Four” who met in Paris to confer concerning the treaty of Versailles:

“Orlando of Italy, Lloyd George of Great Britain, Clemanceau of France, and Wilson of America were called the Big Four when they met in Paris to confer concerning the Treaty of Versailles.” (Ibid., caption, p. 494)

The prophecy, therefore, concerning the “four angels” holding the wind (or war) as what has been mentioned earlier was fulfilled in the persons of Orlando of Italy, Lloyd George of Great Britain, Clemenceau of France, and Wilson of America popularly known as the “Big Four.” These four leaders of nations were instrumental in putting an end to the war in 1914.

Why is the cry of the other “angel ascending from the east” to the “four angels” : ”Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees” at the time they were seen holding the wind or stopping the war? This is because the “four angels” were granted the power “to harm the earth and the sea” (cf. Rev. 7:2, NKJV) or they had the authority either to continue the war or to stop it. Such really was the case as recorded in history:

“Early in May, 1919, the representatives of Germany were invited to the Peace Conference and asked to sign the treaty which was handed to them. They objected to the hard but just conditions which the treaty imposed upon their country and spent several weeks in pleading for easier terms. Some minor changes were made in the treaty, and on June 16th the final conditions were presented to the Germans, who were told that if they did not accept them the Allies would resume operations against their country. When faced with this possibility, Germany gave way and agreed to accept the terms of the Allies.” (History of the United States, p. 594)

History affirms that it was within the power of the “Big Four” to resume military operations against Germany. Had the Germans refused to accept the provisions of the treaty, the Allied powers would have certainly resumed operations against them. Hence, the cry: “Do not harm the earth and the sea.”

Does this mean that Brother Felix Y. Manalo, whom we believe is the fulfillment of the other angel in the prophecy, personally communicated with the “Big Four”? Why does the prophecy state that the other angel or messenger of God ascending from the east cried to the “four angels”? How was this fulfilled?

The cry of the other angel

To understand this, let us refer to the preaching of John the Baptist. The preaching of John the Baptist was depicted in the prophecy of Isaiah as a cry in the wilderness. He said, “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord”,’ ” (cf. Jn. 1:23, NKJV). Why is John’s preaching depicted as a cry in the wilderness? Below is the account of the evangelist Luke:

“And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight”.’

“Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” (Lk. 3:3-4, 9, Ibid.)

John’s preaching was contrary to what the people believed during his time. Hence, his preaching was likened to a “cry in the wilderness” – a lone and righteous voice among the multitudes of his time.

In like manner, the function of the angel ascending from the east having the seal of the living God was to seal the servants of God in their foreheads for their salvation, whereas the work of the “four angels” had something to do with destruction.

What is meant by “seal” and how is “sealing” of the servants of God done? The Holy Scriptures explain, thus:

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Eph. 1:13-14, Ibid.)

The Holy Spirit is the “seal” and the act of “sealing” is the preaching of the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, unto those who believe. This sealing function is done by God’s messenger (cf. Rom. 10:14-15). “Sealing” or preaching the gospel is a work leading to salvation, unlike the work of the “four angels” or the “Big Four.”

Thus, the testimonies of history clearly conform to the prophecy of the Holy Bible regarding the “four angels” or the “Big Four.” It is, therefore, beyond doubt that the work of Brother Felix Y. Manalo as God’s messenger in these last days is the work of God (cf. Jn. 6:29)!

To Die a Righteous Death

Even though man can point to triumphs in meaningful pursuits and fields of knowledge, he cannot prevent death.

“Let me end my days like one of God’s people; Let me die in peace like the righteous.” – Numbers 23:10, Today’s English Version
“A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.” – Psalm 49:20, New International Version
MAN’S ADVANCEMENT in the field of science and technology has been remarkable, especially in the last century. He has been able to land sophisticated probes on other planets; he can now meld the seed of one kind of grain with another in order to produce a new, more sturdy variety; through studying DNA, he is able to virtually peer into the building blocks of life in an attempt to not only find the remedy to many diseases, but to even avoid such maladies from birth. Truly, the progress of human knowledge is astounding and will continue to be so at an even more rapid pace.

But in spite of man’s success, there is one thing that he will never be able to dominate, control, or overcome by himself alone. Ecclesiastes 8:8 proclaims:

“no one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, And no one has power in the day of death. There is no release from that war, And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.” (New King James Version)

Even though man can point to triumphs in meaningful pursuits and fields of knowledge, he cannot prevent death. But why can’t man prevent death, considering that he seemingly is able to cope with many problems of life? Job 12:10 reveals the following:

“For the soul of every living thing is in the hand of God, and the breath of all mankind.” (Living Bible)

Man, on his own, cannot overcome death because it is beyond his own power. Life and death is under the dominion and power of the Creator – none other than the Almighty God. We live and breathe only until He permits us. When the time and day of our death comes, there is nothing we can do to prevent it from happening.

Just how fragile is the life of man? The apostles liken it to a vapor or mist:

“You don’t even know what your life tomorrow will be! You are like a puff of smoke, which appears for a moment and then disappears.” (James 4:14,Today’s English Version)

To die a righteous death
The life of a human being is indeed very delicate since he faces death in a variety of ways (I Cor. 15:30-31). If not through sickness, we might face death while traveling. And there is also the threat of suffering brutality or violence in the hands of our fellowmen. Even in the assumed security of our own homes, the danger of death is apparent, what with the threat of some burglar invading our privacy or of the accidental misuse of electrical equipment that can trigger a fire. Though we may be able to steer clear of such travails in life, but in the end, the truth remains that man cannot escape death because this has been appointed for all men (Heb. 9:27). Not even a person’s wealth or fame can keep him from the grave (Ps. 49:16-17, 20).

Despite this, however, the Bible teaches of a death that all men should aspire for. This is the death of the righteous or to die as one of God’s people:

“The descendants of Israel are like the dust – There are too many of them to be counted. Let me end my days like one of God’s people; Let me die in peace like the righteous.” (Num. 23:10, TEV)

How, on the other hand, does the Bible describe the death of those who are not counted amongst the righteous or the people of God? Psalm 49:20 answers, thus:

“A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.” (New International Version)

Those who lack a certain understanding or knowledge will die just as the beasts of the field do: theirs is a meaningless death. No matter what they may have attained in life, be it wealth or fame; all of it will be for naught because they lack understanding. What is not understood by those whose death is likened to that of beasts? Jeremiah 9:23-24 makes known this:

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight’, declares the LORD.” (Ibid.)

The ungodly who will perish like animals are those who do not recognize or acknowledge God. These include atheists who deny that God exists and the agnostics who argue that there is no proof of God’s existence. But are they the only ones who will die like beasts? Titus 1:16 states this:

“They claim that they know God, but their actions deny it. They are hateful and disobedient, not fit to do anything good.” (TEV)

Even if a person professes belief in God, his actions or deeds – disobedience – belie this. So those who refuse to acknowledge God and those who claim to know Him, but who, through their deeds, deny Him will both suffer the death that is likened to that of the animals. Worse, these people will be punished by God on the day of Judgment:

“In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and for the glory of His power.” (II Thess. 1:8, NKJV)

Thus those who refuse to acknowledge God should change before it is too late.

How about those who claim to know God but their actions belie it? What actions or deeds are expected from them in order for them to be recognized by God? I John 2:3 teaches, thus:

“If we obey God’s commands, then we are sure that we know him.” (TEV)

Obedience to the commandments of God is of paramount importance since it is through this that we can prove that we truly know or recognize Him. In fact, those who claim to know God but refuse to obey all His statutes are deemed liars in His sight (I John 2:4). On the other hand, what will become of those who obey the commandments of God until the end? Christ answers, thus:

“‘Why do you ask me concerning what is good?’ answered Jesus. ‘There is only One who is good. Keep the commandments if you want to enter life’.” (Matt. 19:17, TEV)

The commandments of God written in the Holy Scriptures will not only benefit a person in this life (Deut. 5:29) but will also lead him to eternal life.

How to become righteous
Why is it said that to die as one of God’s people is like having the death of the righteous? Who are righteous before God? The Bible explains:

“If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it, because of the sin he has committed he will die.” (Ezek. 18:26,NIV)

Those who are righteous before God are those who have done no sin. While it is true that all men have sinned (Rom. 5:12), the Bible teaches of a group of people who are considered righteous despite their sins. They are the ones who were put right before God or justified through the redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.” (Rom. 3:23-25, NKJV)

Those who have been redeemed by Christ are the members of the Church of Christ:

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which He has purchased with His blood.” (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation)

Therefore, one should not only aspire to become a member of the Church of Christ but also remain as one until his very last breath. This is the kind of death which is most fortunate.

What is expected of true members
What else does Christ expect from the sheep of His flock or the members of His Church? Christ makes known the following:

“‘All who listen to my instructions and follow them are wise, like a man who builds his house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents, and the floods rise and the storm winds beat against his house, it won’t collapse, for it is built on rock. But those who hear my instructions and ignore them are foolish, like a man who builds his house on sand. For when the rains and floods come, and storm winds beat against his house, it will fall with a mighty crash’.” (Matt. 7:24-28, LB)

The Lord Jesus Christ expects the members of His Church not only to listen to His teachings or the commandments of God but also to fulfill them. Those who do are likened to wise men who build their house upon the rock, which is Christ (Acts 4:11). Even if the rains, winds, and floods of life (which are the false beliefs and the tribulations of living in this world) come upon members of the Church, they will not become weak, let alone be separated; they will not stumble or fall. If, however, they do not obey what is taught unto them, when the problems of life arise, they will experience a tragic fall.

What then should the members of the Church of Christ keep in mind as they await the promised salvation? The apostle Paul teaches the following:

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (I Thess. 4:16-17, NKJV)

On the return of Christ, those who died with their membership intact will be resurrected and join the members of the Church who are still alive on that day to meet the Savior, to enjoy the benefits of being a part of the first resurrection. What blessing awaits those who will be part of the first resurrection?

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:6, Ibid.)

Those who remained true to God and to Christ will dwell in the Holy City. What will be the quality of their existence there? Revelation 21:1-4 gives us an inspiring account of what awaits such servants of God:

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’.” (Ibid.)

May all of us do what it takes to be included in those who will receive the tremendous grace of eternal life on the day of Christ’s return. By obeying the commandments of God and the teachings of Christ not only to become a member of the true Church of Christ, but also to remain as such, we will go a long way towards making our hope of salvation a reality.

Ang wastong pagpili ng kapalaran

ANG AKALA NG IBA ay nakatakda na ang guhit ng kanilang palad at wala na silang magagawang anuman ngayon upang mabago pa ang mangyayari sa kanila sa hinaharap. “Bahala na,” ang wika nila, “kung ano ang mangyayari sa darating.”

Hindi lamang sa pang araw-araw na pamumuhay nila ginagamit ang gayong pananaw kundi maging sa usapan tungkol sa relihiyon, kaya ipinagwawalang-bahala ng mga nagtataglay ng gayong paniniwala ang bagay na espirituwal. Iniisip nilang kung sila’y nakatalagang magtamo ng pagpapala ay mapapasakanila iyon kahit hindi nila hanapin at kung hindi naman iyon para sa kanila ay wala rin silang magagawa upang ito’y kanilang makamit.

Salungat sa mga aral na itinuturo ng Biblia ang gayong kaisipan. Ayon sa Biblia, ang tao ay binigyan ng Diyos ng kalayaan ng kalooban upang piliin ang kaniyang magiging kapalaran. Inilagay ng Diyos sa harap ng tao ang buhay at ang kamatayan, ang papapala at ang sumpa. Ganito ang sinasabi sa Deuteronimo 30:19-20: “Aking tinatawag ang langit at ang lupa na pinakasaksi laban sa inyo sa araw na ito, na aking ilagay sa harap mo ang buhay at ang kamatayan, ang pagpapala at ang sumpa; kaya’t piliin mo ang buhay, upang ikaw ay mabuhay, ikaw at ang iyong binhi; Na iyong ibigin ang Panginoon mong Dios, na sundin ang kaniyang tinig, at lumakip sa kaniya: sapagka’t siya ang iyong buhay, at ang kalaunan ng iyong mga araw;…”

Kapag ang patakarang sinunod ng tao sa kaniyang buhay ay ang pagwawalang-bahala sa hinaharap, ang pinababayaan niya ay ang kaniyang sariling kapakanan. Wala siyang ibang masisisi kundi ang sarili na rin, kung sa halip na siya’y magtamo ng magandang kapalaran ay humantong siya sa kasawian. Ang panukalang inihanda ng Diyos ay para sa ikabubuti ng mga taong nilalang Niya. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit bagaman pinagkalooban Niya ang tao ng kalayaan ng kalooban na makagawa ng pagpapasiya para sa kaniyang sariling kapalaran ay sinabi rin Niyang ang dapat piliin ng tao ay ang buhay.

“Piliin mo ang buhay,” ang sabi ng Diyos, “upang ikaw ay mabuhay.” Hindi na kailangang magbakasakali ang tao o sumangguni pa sa mga nagpapakilalang manghuhula upang malaman niya kung magiging mabuti o hindi ang kaniyang kapalaran. Itinuro ng Diyos kung paano mapaghahandaan ng tao ang buhay na darating. Sinabi ng Diyos kung paano magagawa ng tao ang pagpili sa buhay: dapat niyang ibigin ang Panginoong Diyos at sundin ang Kaniyang mga utos. Kapag inibig at sinunod ng tao ang Diyos o pinili niya ang buhay, tiyak na mabubuhay siya. Ang pahayag na ito ay hindi masisira kailanman sapagkat ang nagsabi nito at nag-aalok ng magandang kapalaran sa tao ay ang Lumikha sa kaniya, ang Diyos na Makapangyarihan sa lahat.

Sa kabilang dako, mayroon ding iniaalok ang diablo sa tao, na alam nating kung iyon ang pipiliin ng sinuman, ang ibubunga ay kamatayan at sumpa. Ang nais ng diablo ay ipahamak ang tao sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang pandaraya at panlilinlang tulad ng ginawa niya sa mga unang taong nilalang ng Diyos.

Tinukso ng diablo sina Eva at Adan upang sila’y kumain ng bunga ng punongkahoy na ipinagbawal sa kanila na kainin. Lumabag sa utos ang mga unang tao hindi dahil sa hindi nila alam ang ipinagagawa sa kanila ng Diyos. Ang totoo’y nagawa pa nga nilang ulitin sa diablo ang utos na tinanggap nila mula sa Diyos. Subalit higit nilang pinaniwalaan ang diablo na kumumbinsi sa kanila na mapapabuti ang kanilang kapalaran kung susuwayin nila ang utos ng Diyos na ibinigay sa kanila. Ganito ang sabi sa Genesis 3:6: “At nang makita ng babae, na ang bunga ng punong kahoy ay mabuting kanin, at nakalulugod sa mga mata, at kahoy na mananasa upang magpapantas sa tao, ay pumitas siya ng bunga niyaon at kinain; at binigyan din niya ang kaniyang asawang kasama niya, at ito’y kumain.”

Samakatuwid, nang sila’y nasa sitwasyong kailangan silang mapasiya at pumili kung alin sa iniaalok ng Diyos at sa iniaalok ng diablo ang kanilang pahahalagahan, ang pinili nila’y ang waring mabuting alok ng diablo, kaysa sa utos ng Diyos. Alam nating hindi sila napabuti. Bagkus, ano ang masamang ibinunga sa mag-asawa dahil hindi naging wasto ang kanilang pagpili sa magiging kapalaran ng kanilang buhay? Sinumpa ng Diyos, hindi lamang ang kanilang pamumuhay, kundi maging ang kanilang buhay mismo – ito ay tinakdaan ng kamatayan (Gen. 3:16-19, 23). At upang matupad ang sumpa sa kanila, pinalayas sila sa halamanan ng Eden. Inalis sa kanila ang karapatang mabuhay sa piling ng Diyos. Napahamak sila sapagkat hindi nila natutuhang pahalagahan ang mga kautusang ibinigay sa kanila ng Diyos.

Ang Panginoong Jesucristo ay inalok din ng diablo ng pagkain at iba pang pakinabang na pansanlibutan subalit pinili Niya ang pagsunod at pagpapahalaga sa mga utos ng Diyos, kaya hindi nagtagumpay ang pandaraya ng diablo sa Kaniya.

Noong ang Panginoong Jesucristo ay nasa sitwasyong kailangang-kailangan Niya ang pagkain, sapagkat katatapos lamang Niyang mag-ayuno ng 40 araw at 40 gabi, tinukso Siya ng diablo at sinabing kung Siya ang Anak ng Diyos ay ipag-utos Niyang ang mga bato ay maging tinapay. Sa halip na matukso sa inialok ng diablo ay sinabi Niya ritong “Hindi sa tinapay lamang mabubuhay ang tao, kundi sa bawa’t salitang lumalabas sa bibig ng Dios” (Mat. 4:4). Bakit hindi natukso o nadaya si Cristo kahit nang alukin Siya ng kayamanan at kapangyarihan sa sanlibutan? Sapagkat nanghawak Siya sa mga salita ng Diyos na nakasulat sa Biblia. Nanindigan Siya sa pagsunod sa mga aral ng Diyos. “Kaya,” ayon kay Apostol Pablo, “siya naman ay pinadakila ng Dios, at siya’y binigyan ng pangalang lalo sa lahat ng pangalan; Upang sa pangalan ni Jesus ay iluhod ang lahat ng tuhod, ng nangasa langit, at ng nangasa ibabaw ng lupa, at ng nangasa ilalim ng lupa, At upang ipahayag ng lahat ng mga dila na si Jesucristo ay Panginoon, sa ikaluluwalhati ng Dios Ama” (Filip. 2:9-11).

Ano ang ipinagagawa sa atin upang hindi tayo mapagtagumpayan ng diablo? Sa Efeso 6:11 ay sinasabi ang ganito: “Isuot ninyo ang baluting kaloob ng Diyos, upang mapaglabanan ninyo ang mga lalang ng diyablo” (Magandang Balita Biblia). Ito ang nagagawa natin kung ginagamit din natin ang mga salita ng Diyos na nakasulat sa Biblia at itinuro sa atin upang labanan ang pandaraya ng diablo.

Dapat nating labanan ang diablo sapagkat ang layunin nito’y hadlangan ang tao sa pagtatamo ng mabuting kapalaran at, lalo na, ng kaligtasan.

Sa panahong Cristiano, dalawang magkaibang daan na may magkaibang tunguhin ang kailangang pagpilian ng tao at sa pagpapasiyang ito’y buhay at kapahamakan din ang nakataya. Sabihin pa, ang nais ni Cristo na piliin ng tao ay ang daang patungo sa buhay: “Pumasok kayo sa makipot na pintuan; sapagkat maluwang ang pintuan at malapad ang daang patungo sa kapahamakan, at ito ang dinaraanan ng marami. Ngunit makipot ang pintuan at makitid ang daang patungo sa buhay, at kakaunti lang ang nakasusumpong niyon” (Mat. 7:13-14, Ibid.)

Maliwanag na nakataya rin sa gagawing pagpili ng tao sa dalawang magkaibang pintuan ang kaniyang magiging kapalaran. Ang malapad na daan ay patungo sa kapahamakan at ang makipot nama’y patungo sa buhay. Sino ang makipot na pintuang patungo sa buhay? Ang sabi ni Cristo’y “Ako ang pintuan, sinumang pumasok sa loob ng kawan sa pamamagitan ko ay magiging ligtas…” (John 10:9, salin sa Pilipino mula saRevised English Bible). Ang kawan na kinapapalooban ng mga pumasok kay Cristo ay ang Iglesia na binili o tinubos ng dugo ni Cristo, gaya ng pinatutunayan sa Gawa 20:28 sa salin ni Lamsa: “Ingatan ninyo kung gayon ang inyong sarili at ang buong kawan na rito’y hinirang kayo ng Espiritu Santo na binili niya ng kaniyang dugo.” Ang pagpasok ng tao saIglesia ni Cristo ay isang malinaw na katibayan na ang pintuang pinili niyang pasukan ay yaong patungo sa buhay.

Si Cristo mismo ang nagbigay ng garantiya na ang Iglesiang itinayo Niya, na tinawag sa Kaniyang pangalan (Roma 16:16), ay hindi mapananaigan kahit ng kapangyarihan ng kamatayan (Mat. 16:18, MB), kaya tiyak na ang mga pumasok o umanib sa Iglesia ni Cristo ang pumasok sa pintuang patungo sa buhay.

Yaong mga hindi pa nagagawang piliin ang daang patungo sa buhay ay may pagkakataon pang gawin ito. At sa panig naman ng mga nakasunod na sa utos ng Panginoong Jesucristo na pumasok sa Kaniya bilang pintuang patungo sa kaligtasan at sa buhay na walang hanggan, itinuro rin ng Biblia ang paraan kung paano maiingatan ang karapatan sa pagtatamo ng buhay. Ganito ang sinasabi sa Kawikaan 4:11-13: “Aking itinuro ka sa daan ng karunungan; Aking pinatnubayan ka sa landas ng katuwiran. Pagka ikaw ay yumayaon hindi magigipit ang iyong mga hakbang; At kung ikaw ay tumatakbo, hindi ka matitisod. Hawakan mong mahigpit ang turo; huwag mong bitawan: Iyong ingatan: sapagka’t siya’y iyong buhay.”

Samakatuwid, anuman ang mangyari, ang mga pumili sa buhay ay dapat manindigan at manghawak na mabuti sa turo ng Diyos. Ang nag-iingat at nanghahawak sa turo ay hindi lumalakad sa landas ng masama, manapa’y nagbabagong-buhay at lumalayo siya sa lahat ng tukso at kasamaan. Samakatuwid, maging sa landas na nilalakaran ng tao araw-araw ay mayroon siyang dapat gawing pagpili.

Malinaw na sinasabi sa Biblia ang ganito: “Huwag kang pumasok sa landas ng masama, At huwag kang lumakad ng lakad ng mga masasamang tao. Ilagan mo, huwag mong daanan; Likuan mo, at magpatuloy ka” (Kaw. 4:14-15).

Inuutusan tayong magpasiya na ilagan ang lakad at landas ng masamang tao. Sapagkat nais ng Diyos na piliin natin ang maghahatid sa atin sa pagpapala at buhay upang matupad ang panukala Niya sa paglalang sa atin.

When Compared with ‘Things Spiritual’, the Christ-is-God Doctrine Fails

WHAT SETS THE BIBLE apart from other books is the complete absence of error and contradiction among the writings contained therein. Owing to its inerrancy, the Bible alone is the ultimate basis and standard for determining the correctness and validity of any religious doctrine. One can rest assured that the teachings he follows are right and sound if they agree with the Scriptures; he can hence renounce or reject, without fear or worry, any belief that is contrary to even just a single correctly-translated verse of the Bible.

The most controversial religious issue, on which innumerable debates since the days of the Roman Emperor Constantine have been and still are engaged in by people professing to be Christians, is probably the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ: Is He God or man? What never fails to make many an inquisitive observer wonder, though, is the fact that both sides use the same unimpeachable source and basis – the Bible. Certainly, they cannot be both right. It behooves all to query: If the Bible contains no contradictions whatsoever, then how could two opposing sides use it as their common source and basis?

To test whether the use of a certain verse by either side is correct or not, one only has to compare it with the other related verses, for Apostle Paul says, “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (I Cor. 2:13, King James Version)

Spiritual things will not contradict with other spiritual things when they are compared with one another. In no way will they manifest disagreement, but only harmony and unity. They go together perfectly well – at all times. With this apostolic method of teaching, nothing is added to or taken away from the Word. Corollarily, when one Bible verse seems to clash in meaning with another verse, the former or the latter is either mistranslated or misinterpreted.

Philippians 2:6One of the most oft-cited Bible verses relative to the issue under consideration, and which itself has given rise to much deliberations is Philippians 2:6, which says, “Who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God” (Ibid.). That this verse has been either paraphrased or liberally rendered by some translators who believe that Christ is God is very evident in the following versions:

“Christ was truly God. But he did not try to remain equal with God.” (Contemporary English Version)

“Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. (New Living Translation)

“Who, though he was God, did not demand and cling to his rights as God.” (Living Bible)

The most common explication of the verse by the advocates of the Christ-is God doctrine is that God divested Himself of His divine nature and became man or, as some would put it, that God walked incognito on earth in the person of Jesus Christ.

Even without delving into the Greek language in which Philippians 2:6 was originally written, one cannot but notice immediately the obvious and great discrepancy, incongruence, and absurdity of the three foregoing renderings and the interpretation that is responsible for them. Mere spiritual comparison of this verse with the other related verses plainly shows that such an interpretation, and its concomitant renderings, are wrong.

Two distinct beingsVerse nine, for example, states, “Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name” (KJV). The existence here of two distinct beings is undeniable: one is God, who “has highly exalted [Christ] and given Him the name which is above every name,” and the other one is Christ, who has been highly exalted by God. If “Christ was truly God,” as CEV rendered, how could He be “highly exalted … and given … the name which is above every name” by God? How could Christ and the God, who exalted Him, be both “truly God”?

In verse six itself, and using CEV, the mistranslation is quite obvious – “Christ was truly God. But he did not try to remain equal with God.” Again, the existence here of two distinct beings is very evident: one who “was truly God” and another one whom He “did not try to remain equal with.”

User-friendly translations seek to make the Bible more readable and easier to understand, but if a verse is rendered in such a way that its original meaning is lost or twisted in the process, then the verse cannot be relied upon as God’s Word. In view of this, strict accuracy, achieved by faithfulness to the original languages in which a text was written is, therefore, to be immensely preferred to readability.

Form, image: ‘near synonyms’The KJV renders the verse: “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” The phrases “being in the form of God” (which is written) and “being God” (which is concluded) definitely do not mean the same thing. Just because Christ is “in the form of God,” it does not necessarily mean that Christ “is God.” In fact, not only do they mean two different things – they also are “spiritually incomparable.” They are simply scripturally irreconcilable, considering the meaning of “form” and the fact that “form” and “image” (man, let it not be forgotten, was created in the image of God) are “near synonyms” (Christology in the Making: An Inquiry into the Origins of the Doctrine of the Incarnation, p. 115).

According to The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, “form” (“morphe” in Greek) denotes an expression of “essential attributes” or “essential qualities” of God: “6. Being in the form of God (AV). Better, Though in his pre-incarnate state he possessed the essential qualities of God, he did not consider his status of divine quality a prize to be selfishly hoarded (takingharpagmos passively). Morphe, form, in verses 6 and 7 denotes a permanent expression of essential attributes, while schema, fashion (v.8), refers to outward appearance that is subject to change” (p.1324).

Wycliffe’s commentary is corroborated by a more pronounced explanation by other Bible commentators, who says that “in the form of God” does not refer to the “divine essence” or “divine nature” but to “the external self-manifesting characteristics” of God. “… Who subsisting (or existing, viz., originally: the Greek is not the simple substantive verb, to be) in the form of God (the divine essence is not meant: but the external self-manifesting characteristics of God, the form shining forth from His glorious essence. The divine nature had infinite BEAUTY in itself, even without any creature contemplating that beauty: that beauty was ‘the form of God’; as ‘the formof a servant’ (vs. 7) …” (Practical and Explanatory Commentary on the Whole Bible, p. 1305)

Contrary to the popular understanding that Christ’s “being in the form of God” in Philippians 2:6 means that Christ is God, the use by the Apostle Paul of the word “form” (which is synonymous with “image”) to refer to Christ is in itself an unequivocal proof that Christ is man, for, of all creatures, it is really man who was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). “It has long been recognized that…(form) and,,,(image) are near synonyms and that in Hebrew thought the visible ‘form of God’ is his glory …” (Christology in the Making: An Inquiry into the Origins of the Doctrine of the Incarnation, p. 115).

Therefore, Apostle Paul’s reference to Christ as “being in the form of God” in Philippians 2:6 is synonymous – or spiritually comparable – with his allusion to Christ as being “the image of the invisible God” in Colossians 1:15. But Christ’s being “the image of the invisible God” does not make Him God, just as all other men’s being created in the image of God does not make us all Gods. No doubt, Philippians 2:6 and Colossians 1:15 are spiritually comparable; they both underscore Christ’s being a man, and not His allegedly being God.

In righteousness and holinessLest Christ’s being the image of God be misconstrued to mean in the visual sense, Apostle Paul, at once, clarifies that God is “invisible” (Col. 1:15; I Tim. 1:17) – a term spiritually comparable with Christ’s statement that “God is Spirit” (John 4:24), which means that God has no flesh and bones (Luke 24:36-39).

In what sense then is Christ the image of the invisible God, a characteristic that not only He, in fact, but all men should possess since all men have been created in God’s image? In righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:23-24,TEV)

Although God has made mankind upright in keeping with His desire that men be in His image, yet men “have gone in search of many schemes,” thereby failing to live up to his Maker’s design. “This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes” (Eccles. 7:29, New International Version).

It is for this reason that all men need the Lord Jesus Christ, for Christ, being the only man who is sinless (I Pet. 2:21-22), is the only one who has lived up to God’s purpose of creating man in His image. Apostle Paul says, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption” (I Cor. 1:30, NIV, emphasis ours).

Owing to this, Paul urges the Christians who have truly “heard about [Christ] and were taught in him” that for them to be in “the likeness of God,” they must “put off [their] old nature which belongs to [their] former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of [their] minds, and put on the new nature, created after likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:20-24, Revised Standard Version, emphasis ours).

And to be able to heed this exhortation, they need to have the mind of Christ – humble and obedient. Paul says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, … And being found in appearance as a man, He humble Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:5, 8, New King James Version).

Christ is in the form or image of God in righteousness and holiness, and His followers should be so, too.

God does not change
The error in the belief that “God became man” lies in the fact that the true God of the Bible – who is neither man nor the son of man (Num. 23:19) – is immutable. God does not change, as He Himself says, “For I the Lord do not change” (Mal. 3:6, RSV). Consistent with this, Apostle James write:

“Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17, Ibid.)

Clearly then, the belief that “God became man” is, to say the least, not spiritually comparable with other related verses. We can come up with a host of other related Bible verses with which the Christ-is-God interpretation of Philippians 2:6 simply cannot be spiritually compared. Instead of the verse introducing Christ as God, it actually all the more affirms the doctrine that Christ is man, and not God. Thus, when compared with “spiritual things” (I Cor. 2:13, KJV), the Christ-is-God dogma miserably fails.

References:

Dunn, James D.G. Christology in the Making: An Inquiry into the Origins of the Doctrine of the Incarnation. London: SCM Press Ltd. 1980.

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown. Practical and Explanatory Commentary on the Whole Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1961.

Pfeiffer, Charles F. and Everett F. Harrison. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary: A Phrase by Phrase Commentary of the Bible. Chicago: The Moody Bible Institute, 1990.

The Fact And The Process Of Apostasy

APOSTASY IS A defection, a falling away from what one believed in, as apostasy from one’s religion, creed, or politics. Thus, one becomes an apostate as soon as he departs from his former belief, whatever it was. What undergoes change is not the person nor his nature but his beliefs.

In the field of religion, apostasy is one of the most controversial and confused terms. Reformers accused the Catholic Church of having departed from the original teachings of Christ. The Catholic Church turns the table on them by calling them apostates or separated brethren.

This article will determine the issue of who really departed from the truth or from the teachings of Jesus Christ. Two things must be made clear: a) what Christ and the Apostles taught and b) if the bishops who succeeded the Apostles in the administration of the Church continued such teachings or not. If they did, then there was no apostasy; if they did not, then there was an apostasy.


Christ’s Teachings Are In The Bible

Not all the things done by Christ and the Apostles were written (cf. Jn. 20:30-31). In fact there were some things that God did not want to be written (cf. Dan. 12:4; Rev. 10:4). The Apostles wrote down what they witnessed (cf. 1 Jn. 1:1-4). All such writings were inspired by God, should be used for doctrine, correction, instruction, and they make man perfect (cf. II Tim. 3:16-17). What were written are enough and nothing should be added to them nor subtracted from them (cf. Rev. 22:18-19) for what are written were written so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing we might have eternal life through His name (cf. Jn. 20:30-31). Apostle Paul adds that we must not go beyond what is written (cf. I Cor. 4:6). And if the Apostles did give instructions by word of mouth, such instructions were taken from what they had witnessed and such things they wrote down (cf. I Jn. 1:1-4).

Thus, the teachings of Christ and the Apostles on which we must remain if we are to be true Christians are written in the Bible, and for as long as we remain in them, we are truly Christ’s disciples (cf. Jn. 8:31) or Christians (cf. Acts 11:26).


The Process of Apostasy

The process of apostasy or the turning away from the teachings of God as written in the Bible, was already at work even during the times of the apostles (cf. II Thess. 2:7). Apostle Paul warned the Christians in Galatia that those who teach doctrines different from what the Apostles already taught be accursed (cf. Gal. 1:6-9). But for as long as the Apostles were still alive and in control of Church administration, such forces of iniquity did not succeed in enticing the entire living members of the Church away from what the Apostles taught them (cf. II Thess. 2:7).

With the death of the Apostles, however, something happened to the Church of Christ:

“For the years after the record in Acts ends, evidence for the history of the Christian Church becomes more scanty. There began to be passing references to it in pagan writers. These writers make it seem likely that the Roman Emperor Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of the city of Rome in A.D. 64. It is also very likely that Saint Peter and Saint Paul were put to death at Rome about this time… .

“When the original Apostles died, the leadership of the Church was taken over by local pastors known as bishops. Under them were ministers of lower rank, known as presbyters and deacons. The Church organized the area of the Roman Empire into provinces. The bishops at the head of the Christian communities in the large cities such as Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, and Carthage ranked highest.” (The New Book of Knowledge, vol. 3, pp. 280-281)

Thus, when the Apostles died, not much was recorded on what went on in the Church of Christ but during this period of silence the administration of the Church fell into the hands of the bishops.

Apostle Paul describes the bishop as he was in the first century Church of Christ. His qualities are detailed in I Timothy 3:2-7 as:

“…blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?). Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” (King James Version)

Apostle Paul further says that a bishop should be “holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” (cf. Titus 1:9)

Thus, among other things, a bishop in the first century Church of Christ is a husband of one wife and a teacher of things taught by the Apostles and Christ, things that are written in the Bible.

The bishops that took control of the Church administration in the second century were of a different breed. They were priests who were not allowed to marry and taught things not coming from the Bible. Moreover, the bishops of the first century Church were not monarchical:

“In Acts 20:28, …the fact that there were several bishops in one community excludes the monarchical concept of the term…” (New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 2, p. 585)

In spite of this clear evidence from the Bible that the original bishop in the Church of Christ was not monarchical, Catholic Church authorities inject the idea that the monarchical episcopate which prevailed in the second century must have come from oral tradition:

“Therefore, since there is no clear evidence in NT for a monarchical episcopate, this office, which was firmly established by the early decades of the 2d century must have been based on oral apostolic tradition going back ultimately to Christ.” (Ibid.)

A monarchical episcopate is defined as “one single bishop assisted by priests and deacons” (Ibid. p. 589), a thing that did not prevail during the time of the Apostles. In spite of this difference in administration between the first century Church of Christ and that of the second, Catholic authorities reject the first and accept the second:

“The testimony of Ignatius from the first decade of the 2d century, along with the evidence of the writers from the second half of that century and the earliest catalogs of bishops in the principal Churches – all of which trace a line of succession of individual bishops back to the apostolic age – satisfies most Catholic theologians that this form of Church government was the only one ever recognized as normal and regular.” (Ibid.)

This control of the Church administration by the bishops who began to teach different doctrines was the fulfillment of what Apostle Paul prophesied concerning the overseers (bishop):

“Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:30, KJV)

Soon after the bishops took over the administration of the Church in the second century, the doctrines of this Church began to be infected with poison:

“At first the history of the Roman Church is identical with the history of the Christian truth. But unhappily there came a time when streams of poison began to flow from the once pure fountain.” (The World’s Great Events, vol. 2, pp 163-164)
From Church of Christ To Catholic Church

The great apostasy did not consist in the destruction of the first century Church of Christ and the establishment of another one. It consisted in the deterioration of the Church established by Christ. As already mentioned, there was a sort of “news blockout” during the years immediately after the death of the Apostles. During this period the bishops took over the administration of the Church. When events began to be recorded again, what was revealed was a Church very different from what Christ founded:

“For fifty years after St. Paul’s life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises about 120 A.D. with the writings of the earliest church-fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul.” (The Story of the Christian Church, p. 41)

The differences between what used to be the Church of Christ in the first century and the Church that was revealed in the second to the fourth centuries are profound:

“It is necessary to note that we should recall the reader’s attention to the profound differences between this fully developed Christianity of Nicaea and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth….What is clearly apparent is that the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth was a prophetic teaching of the new type that began with the Hebrew prophets. It was not priestly, it had no consecrated temple, and no altar. It had no rites and ceremonies. Its sacrifice was ‘a broken and contrite heart’. Its only organization was an organization of preachers, and its chief function was the sermon. But the fully fledge Christianity of the fourth century, though it preserved as its nucleus the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, was mainly a priestly religion, of a type already familiar to the world for thousands of years. The center of its elaborate ritual was an altar, and the essential act or worship the sacrifice, by a consecrated priest, of the Mass.” (The Outline of History, pp. 552-553)

These profound changes, made on the original teachings of Christ, dealt great violence on the teachings of the Bible for the purpose of enhancing the interests of the Catholic Church:

“Jesus too, being a Galilean, was of Aryan stock, a remarkable man whose teachings had, in the course of centuries, been deformed out of all recognition in the interests of the Catholic Church.” (The Vatican in the Age of Dictators, p. 168)

Adding insult to injury, Catholic authorities acknowledge such changes without shame and even with pride:

“We Catholics acknowledge readily, without any shame, nay with pride, that Catholicism cannot be identified simply and wholly with primitive Christianity, nor even with the Gospel of Christ, in the same way that the great oak cannot be identified with the tiny acorn.” (The Spirit of Catholicism, p. 2)

“ ‘Without the Scriptures’, says Mohler, ‘the true form of the sayings of Jesus would have been withheld from us….Yet the Catholic does not derive his faith in Jesus from Scripture’.” (Ibid. p. 50)

Hence, those responsible for this apostasy of the first century Church of Christ were the bishops under whose administration these profound changes took place. The first bishop identified as having introduced changes into the Church was Ignatius, bishop of Antioch who was martyred in Rome about 110 A.D. He was the first to use the term Catholic Church in reference to the Church of Christ:

“The name Catholic as a name is not applied to the Catholic Church in the Bible. ..St. Ignatius of Antioch, writing to the Christians of Smyrna about the year 110, is the first to use the name ‘The Catholic Church’ …” (The Question Box, p. 132)

This same Ignatius introduced the doctrine that Christ is both God and man. “He asserted unequivocally both the divinity and humanity of Christ, the Savior.” (New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 7, p. 353)

Ignatius is one of the so-called Antenicene Fathers who were divided into three groups, namely:
1. Apostolic Fathers – supposedly had personal contact with the Apostles or were instructed by their disciples. To this group belong Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyna, and Clement of Rome.
2. Greek Apologists – born of the Church’s reaction to paganism. To this group belong Justin Martyr, Athenagoras of Athens, Theophilus of Antioch, and Irenaeus.
3. Theologians – to this group belong Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, and Cyprian.

These Church Fathers were the source of the teachings that the Catholic Church taught and implemented beginning the second century and formalized by the decrees of the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. Such persons were not immune from errors and yet, the apostatized church approved their teachings:

“Obviously much that Christ and the apostles preached was in time reduced to writing. Hence there grew up a library composed of men called ‘the fathers of the Church’. They were called so because in apostolic days the word ‘father’ also meant teacher of spiritual things, and these were among her earliest teachers. But, unlike the apostles, all of whom enjoyed infallibility, they were not immune from error nor inspired as the scriptural writers had been. In so far as they dealt with questions of faith and morals, much of what they wrote was approved by the Church, and thus, became part of written tradition.” (Whereon to Stand: What Catholics Believe and Why, p. 142)

As a result of the teachings of these early Church Fathers, the Church of Christ or Christianity became Roman Catholicism, the last and the greatest of the mystery religions:

“On that dies Domini, or Lord’s Day, the Christians assembled for their weekly ritual. Their clergy read from the Scriptures, led them in prayer, and preached sermons of doctrinal instruction, moral exhortation, and sectarian controversy…

“By the close of the second century, these weekly ceremonies had taken the form of the Christian Mass. Based partly on the Judaic Temple service, partly on Greek mystery rituals of purification, vicarious sacrifice, and participation through communion, in the death-overcoming powers, of the deity, the Mass grew slowly into a rich congeries of prayers, psalms, readings, sermon, antiphonal recitations, and, above all, that symbolic atoning sacrifice of the ‘Lamb of God’ which replaced, in Christianity, the bloody offerings of older faiths. The bread and wine which these cults had considered as gifts placed upon the altar before the god were now conceived as changed by the priestly act of consecration into the body and blood of Christ, and were presented to God as a repetition of the self-immolation of Jesus on the cross. Then, in an intense and moving ceremony, the worshippers partook of the very life and substance of their Saviour. It was a conception long sanctified by time; the pagan mind needed no schooling to receive it; by embodying it in the ‘mystery of the Mass’, Christianity became the last and the greatest of the mystery religions.” (Ceasar and Christ, pp. 599-600) 
From Persecuted Church To Persecutor Church

The first century Church of Christ suffered persecution at the very moment of its inception. Christ was Himself crucified by the Jews; Stephen the deacon was stoned to death with the approval of Saul who was to become the Apostle Paul later. After the Jews came the Roman emperors, from Nero (54-68) to Diocletian (284-305). The persecution was in progress when the Church of Christ developed into the Catholic Church in the second century. Thus, those faithful to the Church of Christ in the first century were killed and wiped out by the second century in the Roman persecution. By the second century the Church of Christ had already apostatized into the Catholic Church but the Roman persecutions continued, and those getting killed were no longer true Christians but followers of the bishops called Catholics. Among the victims was Ignatius himself who began calling the Church of Christ Catholic Church. Even Popes were killed. A former Jesuit priest says:

“Between the death of Simon Peter the Apostle in A.D. 67, and the year 312, there were thirty-one popes, successors to Peter as bishops of Rome. Not one of the first eighteen popes died in bed. All perished violently.” (The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Church, p. 3)

These two centuries of intermittent persecutions led to the killings of thousands of Catholics still called by historians as Christians.

Emperor Constantine (306-337) stopped the persecutions, legalized and favored the Catholic Church and assumed control over it. Thus began a pro-Christian imperial policy which later turned into a policy of persecution of heretics and pagans:

“This pro-Christian imperial policy…began with Constantine, who favored the Christians and only tolerated paganism, hoping it to die a natural death. His three sons, however, who succeeded him at his death in 337, took a more resolute stance. This was especially true of Constantius, who was left sole ruler in 350. He aimed at total extirpation of paganism; he ordered the temples closed and imposed the death penalty for participating in sacrifices.” (A Concise History of the Catholic Church, p. 68)

“Meanwhile, Gratian was taking steps to stamp out paganism, and in 391 and 392 Theodosius issued stringent laws against idolatry. Sacrifice to pagan gods, whether in public or in private, was to be regarded as treason, and paganism gradually died out during the following century. The legal triumph of the Church over heresy and paganism and its evolution from a persecuted sect to a persecuting state church were complete.” (A Survey of European Civilization, p. 95)

Thus, the persecuted Church of Christ of the first century which became the persecuted Catholic Church from the second to the fourth century became allied with the Roman emperors in the fourth century and started persecuting not only pagans but also its own members who dared to refuse allegiance to it or who questioned its authority and teachings, members classified as heretics.

History records that by the 13th century, this persecution by the apostate Church surpassed in cruelty the persecutions done by the Roman emperors.

“The Inquisition lasted over two hundred years…If men or women or children refused to accept Christianity, they were tortured until they died.

“Even the early Christians, before Constantine, who were tortured and killed and fed to the lions in Rome, and who are known to us as Martyrs, were not treated more cruelly than the non-Christians during the Inquisition. (How the Great Religions Began, p. 214)
Conclusion

The true Church of Christ established by Christ in Jerusalem in the first century followed a set of tenets which Christ received from God, which the Apostles received from Christ, and which the Apostles committed into writing. Such written words make references to the Old Testament so that the true Church of Christ also recognizes the Old Testament as words of God. God commands that nothing should be added to nor subtracted from what has been written in the Holy Scriptures.

For as long as the Apostles were at the helm of Church administration, the Church followed to the letter all the commandments written in the Bible. But with the death of the Apostles, the bishops took control of the Church and they introduced teachings not drawn from what is written in the Bible but from tradition, writings of the so-called Church Fathers, theologians, and other sources.

By the second century, the bishops change the name of the Church, injected new doctrines into it, changed its hierarchy so that what emerged by the year 120 A.D. was a Church radically different in form and content from the Church during the time of Apostle Peter and Paul.

The apostasy did not consist in the establishment of a new Church but in the introduction of teachings foreign to it and not written in the Bible. The Church of Christ during the time of the Apostles became the Catholic Church of the bishops in the second century, persecuted by the Roman emperors until the fourth century, allied itself with the Roman emperors from that time on and became a persecutor Church, killing both pagans and alleged heretics with unspeakable cruelty.

This is the Church that turned away from Christ’s teachings as written in the Bible, the Church that took on teachings of men, the Church that apostatized, the Church that calls itself The Holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church.


Bibliography

Books:

Adam, Karl. The Spirit of Catholicism. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1954

Bokenkotter, Thomas. A Concise History of the Catholic Church. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. 1977.

Brunini, John Gilland. Whereon to Stand: What Catholics Believe and Why. New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1961.

Conway, Rev. Bertrand L. The Question Box. New York: The Paullist Press, 1929.

Durant, Will. The Story of Civilization, Part III: Ceasar and Christ. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1944.

Ferguson, Wallace K. and Geoffrey Bruun. A Survey of European Civilization. Bostan: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1962.

Gaer, Joseph. How the Great Religions Began. London: The New American Library Limited, 1956.

Hurlbut, Jesse Lyman, D.D. The Story of the Christian Church. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969.

Martin, Malachi. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Catholic Church. New York: Bantam Books, 1981.

Rhodes, Anthony. The Vatican in the Age of the Dictators, 1922-1945. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1973.

Wells, H.G. The Outline of History. New York: Garden City Publishing Company, Inc., 1931


General References:

New Catholic Encyclopedia, vols. 2 and 3. Washington D.C.: The Catholic University of America, 1967.

The New Book of Knowledge, vol. 3. Connecticut:Grolier Inc., 1983.

The World’s Great Events, vol. 2:From BC 207 to AD 1190. New York: P. F. Gollier & Sons Corporation, 1948.